Review: Transforms: Age of Extinction

by. Joe Moss
★★

Michael Bay's latest installment of Transformers definitely lives up to the hype associated with most Michael Bay movies. There's plenty of CGI and 'bang for your buck'...BUT there's the also typical cheesiness that makes you feel your watching a cartoon-based movie; subpar acting from an outstanding cast; and an anemic plot-line that leaves you groaning quite often. "Transformers: Age of Extinction" does a wonderful job fixing many mistakes of past Transformers movies, there are a few plot ideas that completely rewrite the cartoons of the 80's, and...ultimately...left me feeling wholly unfulfilled.

This film picks up 5 years after the events of "Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon." Cade Yeager (Mark Walhberg) is a down and out inventor in Texas who desperately needs to find that 'big idea' so that he is able to make ends meet, save his homestead, and send his 17 year-old daughter, Tessa (Nicola Peltz) to college. In the midst of his scrounging for parts, he stumbles across a beat-up rig that he wishes to take home and disassemble for scrap. Nevertheless, while cleaning it, discovers that the truck is 'more than meets the eye' and rightly assumes he's stumbled into a long-lost Transformer. In the process of assessing his options and discovering who the transformer truly is, the CIA, headed by Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammer) and his lackey Savoy (Titus Welliver), swoops down upon the homestead with great anger and terrible vengeance ready to destroy, maim, or kill without question. Once Optimus Prime is discovered the remainder of the movie deals with uncovering the plot by the government that finds itself 'unknowingly' in cahoots with a Deceptacon bounty-hunter, Lockdown, who will exchange a 'seed' for Optimus.

What this film lacks is MANY elements of plot that would fill the innumerable gaps. Ehren Kruger, who penned the screenplays for the last 2 Transformers films, attempted to make many necessary correlations with the other 2 films, and fix a few gaps in those...but then left many new gaps in the process. Where does the Lockdown/CIA pact come into play? Where does Kelsey Grammer's character come from since it's stated he's 'been around for 20 years' yet not in the other 3 movies? How does KSI (Stanley Tucci's business) get an exclusive contract to forge the metal of the destroyed Autobots and Deceptacons? The foreshadowing of the 'seed' at the beginning of the movie, and the subsequent discovery of those happenings by Dr. Tirrel (Sophia Myles), really doesn't add much to the film as a whole - rather it is a completely unnecessary plot fragment that should have been edited out. From where do the dinobots come? Is that what the beginning of the movie was really trying to do was show us? Their evolution as a means of setting up the next 2 films in the franchise?

And then we have the newly introduced 'pretty face' of the film in Tessa Yeager (Nicola Peltz). who comes to us from "Deck the Halls (2006)" and the horrible "Last Airbender (2010)." While gorgeous, her obvious lack of acting talent and running about like a damsel in distress the ENTIRE film--while simultaneously attempting to act like she's got it together--takes away from the story. BUT...sadly...her distress is what ties helps tie the 2nd and 3rd acts of the film together with the first. I guess Michael Bay follows a formula of 'bring a beautiful face into the movie to distract people from the subpar plot'...Megan Fox, and Rosey Huntington-Whiteley anyone...

Additional to the plot issues, the film editing powerhouse trio of Roger Barton, William Goldenberg and Paul Rubell (who have worked on many Oscar winning and nominated films) definitely dropped the proverbial ball at numerous points in this editing process. There was bad CGI fitted into live action scenes that made many elements of the Transformers themselves seem cartoonish in contrast (as seen at the right)...

I will admit that the visual effects team, sound editing team, and set design did an amazing job. The Transformers themselves seemed more lifelike than ever and the transformation from man-like creature to camouflaged robot was more seamless than ever...but is that enough to make the movie truly great?

My favorite part of the film was the climactic battle in Hong Kong when the Dinobots appear full fledged into the fray. I always loved those big lumbering idiots as a kid, and while they do not talk in the film, and all of them have fire-breath...where in the cartoons only Grimlock and Slag ever used it...they were the CGI equivalent of a gold mine. In fact, most of the audience in the theater I was seated cheered when they appeared on screen. This last 25 minutes made the film worthwhile--as a childhood nostalgia revisited. And yet...you can see the editing of Grimlock into the film is much like before...cartoon like. Yikes!!

Review: Lone Survivor

by Joe Moss
★★★

Explosive. Emotional. Unnerving. Even though the war efforts in the Middle East and Afghanistan have now been stretching upwards of 13 years, most people cannot turn away from a great action movie based in reality. Peter Berg's latest film, "Lone Survivor", is a harrowing snapshot of a three day mission gone awry. This mission centers around one Navy SEAL team sent to extract a Taliban leader, Shah, from the depths of the mountains in Northern Afghanistan.

Marcus Lutrell (Mark Walhberg) is part of an elite Navy SEAL team that is based out of Bagram Air Base. His 'band of brothers' includes Micheal Murphy (Taylor Kitsch), Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch) and Matt "Axe" Axelson (Ben Foster)--all lead by the dynamic Commander Kristensen (Eric Bana).The playful camaraderie from this group is evident from the onset of the film as Danny and Mike wake early to have a race through the Air Base simply for bragging rights...and to see who's head will be shaved.

The team is activated for Operation Redwing earlier than expected, when Commander Kristensen receives intel pointing toward a desired Taliban leader in the region--one who is responsible for the recent death of 20 Marines. The guys are pre-oped in the early morning hours, and dropped in a remote location 4 hours from "Schlitz Malt Liquor"--aka the reconnaissance point nearest the insurgent. Once the team arrives at the final waypoint, communications with the command post are lost due to the rough terrain. As the SEALs lay low waiting for night to fall, a heard of goats and their herders stumbles across the team, and the quiet "grab op" turns into the proverbial 'Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.'

Based on the best-selling book of the same name by the 'lone survivor' himself, Marcus Luttrell, the screenplay is a perfect adaptation of the book. Luttrell worked with Peter Berg (who wrote the screenplay as well as directed the film) to ensure that the film was as accurate as possible to honor the memory of his fallen brothers--to whom the film is dedicated. The screenplay is filled with such a wide range of emotions that is it impossible for the audience not to feel every bullet, every detonation, and every ounce of blood lost. Even though everyone knows what is to happen (the the title alludes), you will easily finding yourself rooting for the underdogs in the battle.

Mark Wahlberg does not disappoint as the lead character of the film. His cool demeanor and level-headedness play off of the brashness of Ben Foster's portrayal of Axe. It is obvious that Mike and Marcus have a deep connection and understanding of how the other thinks during times of high stress operations, and Mark Wahlberg and Taylor Kitsch have the same on-screen chemistry. They maintain and follow the military code of conduct expected of all domestic militia. As they film progresses, each of the team members strengths are shown; as well, each of their memories are honored.

The cinematography by Tobias Schliessler ("Battleship", "Dreamgirls") is absolutely fantastic. Even through the numerous battle sequences, the audience is able to appreciate the beauty of the local countryside--a nice reminder of WHY the war on terror continues. A reminder WHY these brave soldiers continue to risk their lives. Democracy and conservation of the freedoms that we take for granted. As well, the sound technicians and the sound mixing departments we phenomenal. This allowed the editing of the film by Colby Parker ("Battleship", "The Kingdom") to perform his job flawlessly.

A great film that reminds all of us to thank our Military for the hard work they perform for often low compensation. Go see "Lone Survivor" if you wish to be transported to the same frame of mind as was seen in other outstanding Hollywood productions of late--"The Hurt Locker", "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Jarhead."